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Brine-Whole Hog, Chicken. Butts, Brisket

A brine is a liquid that you put meat down into to push out the blood, hydrate the meat, and add flavor to for the duration of the cook. Brine-ing can keep a piece of meat moist longer. As the temperature in the meat rises it has more moisture to put out at the edges of the meat. Learn how to cook BBQ on The BBQSuperStars Cooking Channel

Brining does not technically “break down” proteins in meat. At least not the way marinating does.

Brining actually involves osmosis which carries salt and sugar inside the cell walls. This denatures the proteins causing them to unravel and interact with one another. This forms a matrix which traps moisture in the meat.

Brine is composed of 1 cup to 1 gallon. If you make a 3 gallon Brine you have to put 3 cups of sugar or salt. Honey is different, 1/2 a cup in a gallon.

Marinating on the other hand actually does “break down” the proteins using acidity. The acid literally does consume the proteins and break down the texture of the meat. If the marinade has salt in it, then osmosis will occur as well and the marinade is also serving as a brine.

So, to answer your question: Yes, a salty marinade will brine your meat, but the protein breakdown that occurs is due to the acidity of the marinade.

Brine for Chicken

1 Gallon Chicken Broth

1 Cup of Kosher Salt

1 Cup of White Sugar

3/4 Cup Soy Sauce

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

Pour the warm water into a container that is twice the volume of the water. Pour in the salt, sugar, soy sauce, and olive oil. Stir until the sugar and salt have dissolved, then allow the brine to cool to room temperature.

Brine your chicken, whole hogs, butts, its important

What came out of the chicken

16 hours later

Start of the Brine

Honey, Salt, Brown Sugar

Honey, Salt, Brown Sugar Stubbs for Later

Brine for Whole Hog

10 Gallons of water

5 Cups of Kosher Salt

1 Cup of Sage

1 Cup of White Sugar

1 Cup of Olive Oil

Another Brine for a Whole Hog

10 gallons water

10 cup salt

5 cup brown sugar

3 cup whole cloves

3 cup juniper berries

3 cup ground nutmeg

15 cinnamon sticks

Pour the water into a 40 gallon cooler. Put all the ingredients into the water. Put the hog into the water then pack it with ice and close the cooler.

Brine for Butts

Brining a pork butt before cooking is key to locking in moisture and flavor. I mix this brine and submerge the meat in it for 3 days before cooking.

There are schools of thought out there that you should put your rub on the night before and let if marinade in that. Some have said that that pulls moisture out of the brisket. Some say you should put the rub on 30 minutes before you put it in the cooker to preserve moisture. The marinade above will instill flavor not pull out moisture.